"Akhilesh Yadav opposed and did not allow Mukhtar and Afzal Ansari to make their entry into the party when then SP's president Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh brought a proposal. He (Akhilesh) wanted to portray their modern image and set himself aside from the tendency of taking criminals into the party," Singh told ANI.

"The irony is that Mahagathbandhan is forged and Afzal Ansari is the candidate of Mayawati's BSP. How will Babua (Akhilesh) with Bua (Mayawati) work with Ansari brothers when he had decided not to take any criminal in his party?" he asked.

Singh further said "Akhilesh had rebelled against his father and uncle about the Ansari brothers, today Azfal Ansari is a BSP candidate. Will he under Bua's pressure campaign for Ansari because he is a BSP candidate?"

BSP has fielded Ansari from Ghazipur constituency. He will contest against Union Minister and BJP leader Manoj Sinha.

There are 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where SP, BSP, and RLD are contesting in an alliance. The SP will contest on 37 seats, BSP on 38 and RLD on 3 seats. The alliance has left two seats, Rae Bareli and Amethi, for the Congress.